This invention relates to telephone apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus which can be utilized to restrict the type of calls placed by a particular telephone set onto a telephone line.
In many situations it is desirous to restrict the type of calls which can be placed through a particular telephone set onto a telephone line. For example, in large companies, almost all personnel have access to a telephone for both incoming and outgoing calls. Such telephones are generally unrestricted and as a result personnel can place all type of calls, including long distance telephone calls with the telephone. In many cases the long distance calls are of a personal nature and there is no way to identify the particular individual placing the call in order to change him for the use of the telephone. As a result, the availability of the telephones are abused and companies must frequently pay huge telephone bills, which actually are personal calls and not company calls.
In other situations, the telephone may be a part of a switching network which is used both for internal as well as external use. While it is desired that all types of incoming calls should be received on the telephone sets, it is frequently desired to restrict outgoing calls to only intercompany use. As a result, only four or five digits are to be dialed. The telephones are not to be utilized for any calls either locally outside of the immediate company and surely not for long distance calls.
In some situations, selective restriction is desired. For example, sometimes it may be desired to completely restrict usage of particular telephone sets thereby preventing any outgoing calls at all. At other times, it is desirous to modify the restriction and only prevent certain long distance calls. Such selective application of a restriction would be beneficial to particularly accommodate the needs of the personnel as well as the needs of a company employing many telephones and telephone lines.
While restrictions on particular telephone lines are desired, at the same time certain personnel may need access to these same telephone lines without restriction. Thus, although a particular telephone line has an apparatus restricting its use to selective types of calls, that same apparatus when used by executive personnel must not have any restrictions. The executive personnel must be able to override or disengage the restriction and have access to the use of the phone line for all types of calls.
An additional problem is the ability to accommodate varied types of telephone systems. In some cases, rotary dial systems are still utilized while others employ Touch-Tone systems. To further complicate matters in some companies there may be a mixture of rotary dial and Touch-Tone systems and the type of restricting apparatus must provide accommodation to both types of telephones.